


Past Imperfect

by foobar137



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Community: cottoncandy_bingo, F/M, Fluff, Memories, Pajamas & Sleepwear, Social Security, a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-12 01:45:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1180440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foobar137/pseuds/foobar137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy comes home to find Steve hasn't even gotten out of his pajamas all day.  What's up, and what can she do about it?  Cotton candy bingo: 'wearing pajamas all day'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Past Imperfect

**Author's Note:**

> Cotton candy bingo: staying in pajamas all day
> 
> Timeframe: Before Winter Soldier

Darcy unlocked the door to their tiny apartment in Brooklyn, stumbling in and dropping her purse on the counter. “Steve? You okay?” she called out.

“Yeah,” he said quietly from the couch, looking down at something in his lap.

She hung her coat and kicked off her shoes, asking, “Nat was worried about you. You didn’t come in to the gym today.”

He turned to look at her. “She doesn’t know about us, does she?” They’d been careful to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the Avengers, trying to keep some shred of a private life. If they didn’t, they knew Tony and Clint would pry into it as far as Pepper and Natasha would let them, and they really didn’t feel like having his coworkers looking over their shoulders.

“No, she stopped by to talk to Thor, who was with Jane, and...I happened to overhear the conversation. Thor said you were a,” she dropped her voice into her best Thor imitation, “Mighty Warrior,” and she paused as he burst out laughing. “Anyway, Thor said he was sure you were fine. Nat didn’t seem to buy it.”

She sat next to him on the couch; he was still dressed in his pajama pants, and she had to fight not to get distracted by the view of him shirtless with a day and a half’s stubble covering his face. On the table in front of him lay old pictures and newspaper clippings, organized into folders. She recognized the names on the folders - Dum-Dum, Morita, Barnes, and others. Old comrades, now gone. “What’s this for?” she asked. “Why the sudden bout of nostalgia?”

He sighed, and handed her the paper he’d been looking at. She quickly scanned it; it was from the Social Security Administration, stating that his appeal had been denied and he was, for purposes of his retirement accounts, now fully eligible for both Social Security and Medicare. “They said that my time...out of time...doesn’t matter, they have to go off birth dates. And so I’m officially retirement age.”

She looked up at him, puzzled.

He took the paper from her and tossed it on top of the pile. “It’s just...I got this this in this morning’s mail, and...it hit me that, out of all these people, I’m the only one left. None of them ever lived to see retirement. None of them even got close. And...I don’t know, I just...”

She nodded. “You feel like you cheated. Like you shouldn’t be here.”

He hung his head. “Yeah.”

She slid over next to him, running her hand across his bare back. “It’s okay. Yes, you got lucky. That’s okay. Remember the ones who were important, and realize that they’d want you to live your life. What would Bucky tell you if he saw you in this sort of mood?”

He chuckled. “He’d call me a punk and tell me to stop whining. And then he’d tell me to grab the gorgeous dame next to me and show her just how much I appreciate her.” He put his arm around her, leaning down to claim her lips with his own. She felt the roughness of his unshaven chin on her cheek as he pulled her tight.

“That’s more like it,” she whispered.


End file.
